Vidfest is an event for the top creative minds working in digital media. Attracting visionaries from games, Web 2.0, interactive design, animation and mobile applications, it is an annual "must-attend" in Vancouver. Events include the PopVox Awards and Convergence 2008.

The Canada International Film Festival brings the best of world cinema to Canada and plays an important role in maintaining and further enriching its film culture. The Canada International Film Festival has quickly carved out a name for itself among the top film festivals in Canada. It accepts films of any type, in any genre, from over 90 countries around the world. The festival is dedicated to the creation of opportunities for the artistic interaction and exchange among independent filmmakers and the film-going community.

Anticipation, The 67th World Science Fiction Convention, has added Ralph Bakshi as Artist Guest of Honor. Bakshi's career spans five decades, during which he has created memorable and groundbreaking films including WIZARDS, FIRE AND ICE and the first film adaptation of THE LORD OF THE RINGS. In addition, he has worked on and directed a variety of television shows including ROCKET ROBIN HOOD, SPIDERMAN, THE MIGHTY HEROES and THE NEW ADVENTURES OF MIGHTY MOUSE. The newest guest of honor joins those announced in September 2007: Neil Gaiman, Elisabeth Vonarburg, Tom Doherty, David Hartwell and Taral Wayne. Author Julie Czerneda will be Master of Ceremonies. The 67th World Science Fiction Convention, known as Anticipation, will take place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from Thursday, August 6 through Monday, August 10, 2009. More information about Anticipation, including current membership rates, is available at www.anticipationsf.ca.

This year, the //ADAPT 2008 CONFERENCE will be held in Montreal's historic Pepsi Forum / AMC Theater, former home of the legendary Montreal Canadiens hockey team. Advanced Digital Art Production Techniques or //ADAPT for short, will feature more than 40 of the best digital art masters, from blockbuster films, Visual FX and video game studios. //ADAPT will feature exciting programs and activities such as the 2D Masters Track, 3D Masters Track, 2D/3D+ Track, Exploration Track, the //ADAPT THEATER and the //ADAPT ART EXPO, designed to promote and inspire artists while displaying the amazing art work developed in leading films, Visual FX and video game productions worldwide. //ADAPT's all-star lineup will feature the likes of Pixar, Industrial Light & Magic, Walt Disney Animation Studios, The Mill, Framestore CFC, The Jim Henson Company, Tippett Studio and industry icons like Aaron Sims, Steven Stahlberg, Craig Mullins, Andrew Jones, Jason Manley, Craig Barron, Dan Gregoire, Alex McDowell, Shawn Kelly, Carlos Baena, Taron and more. For details on programming, registration and ticket prices, visit the newly launched www.adaptconference.com website.

For game industry professional, students of game design, and everyone passionate about games, Vancouver Film School’s Game Design program presents the third annual Game Design Expo February 7-8, 2009 in Vancouver, BC, featuring guest speakers and panels with the leading minds in game design and development.

Held in conjunction with Game Design Expo, the VFS Game Design Open House is a chance to see inside the acclaimed one-year program, meet faculty, play student-created games, and experience sample classes.

Tickets to Industry Speaker Day are $75. The VFS Game Design Open House is free, but register early, as last year’s event was booked to capacity.

For schedules, tickets, registration, and up-to-the-minute details, visit gamedesignexpo.com.

GDC Canada plans to serve this fast-growing region by providing a forum for Canadian developers to share best practices for fostering ingenuity and quality within their globally distributed games. Unique to GDC Canada's content lineup is an emphasis on the production cycle of game development, with tracks focused on: Concept/Preproduction, Production, Finalling and Post Launch/Analysis. By organizing the conference tracks according to the stages of development rather than specific fields, participants can better understand production cycle efficiencies and their teammates' point of view. The Game Developers Conference Canada is taking place May 12-13, 2009 at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. Don Mattrick, SVP of Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, will deliver the keynote address. Mattrick leads the Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows businesses at Microsoft. The advisory board for GDC Canada is composed of expert industry veterans throughout Canada including: -- Brenda Bailey -- Deep Fried Ent. -- Steve Bocska -- Pug Pharm -- Ron Clement -- Bioware -- Howard Donaldson -- Disney Interactive Studios -- Derek Elliot -- Ubisoft -- Dave Elton -- EA (Blackbox)/IGDA -- Tabitha Hayes -- EA -- Dan Irish - -Threewave -- Jerome Kashetsky -- National Research Council of Canada -- Matt Robinson -- Bioware -- Gerri Sinclair -- Great Northern Way Campus -- Douglas Tronsgard -- Next Level Games -- Tarrnie Williams -- THQ Canada (Relic) -- Kelly Zmak -- Radical Ent. To address the growing talent, demand and opportunities within Canada, the Game Developers Conference Canada will play host to a one day Game Career Seminar. Additionally, for developers looking to address the emerging challenges of game development, the Future Play Conference @ GDC Canada, an annual conference hosted by Algoma University, will enable academic, industry and government interests to present and promote research in the area of video game development. To register for GDC Canada, learn about sponsorship opportunities or to view conference information, visit www.gdc-canada.com.

Visit Max the Mutt Animation School in the heart of Toronto's Art & Design District, and bring your family and friends. Young and old, everyone loves animation. You will get to see the facilities, view the student demo reels and learn about the exciting fields of animation, illustration, comic books, graphic novels and concept art for animation and video games. 952 Queen Street West (Queen and Shaw) in downtown TO. 416-703-6877 or toll free 1-877-486-MUTT. Friday April 24, 2009 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday April 25, 2009 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

With a mission to ignite creative and collaborative fire, Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH presents SPARK Animation '09. In its second year, this prestigious week-long speaker series, educational forum and film festival informs and inspires professionals, pioneers and enthusiasts in the world of animation. The event has attracted a coveted speaker line-up of some of the most talented animators and innovators from both close to home and far afield: Jimmy Hayward & Steve Martino (Blue Sky), Mark Osborne & John Stevenson (DreamWorks), Paul Topolos (Pixar) and Paul Harrod (Bent Image Lab). Through panels and presentations, attendees will gain insight into the evolution and latest techniques of the industry, as well as exposure to recent and leading artistic and technological advancements.

Corus Entertainment's YTV's interactive, entertainment-filled summer road show WOW! will be heading out for another exciting summer tour. Now in its 11th year, WOW! will be travelling to communities across the country, visiting major festivals and attractions from June 4 until Labour Day. This year the summer tour includes HASBRO's Camp NERF DART TAG Capture the Flag! After months of training to become NERF Operatives at CampNERF.ca, YTV viewers can now put their online skills into real-life action, when they get to test NERF DART TAG products in a live game of Capture the Flag. On site, the WOW! crew will be distributing collectible prizes from NERF to all NERF Operatives-in-Training. WOW! will also gets kids up and moving with action-packed Dunkaroos Slam Dunkers All Stars. This inflatable zone is the ultimate basketball experience as kids can practice dunks, shoot hoops and play three on three with their friends. New to the tour this year, is Dunks Bump, where kids must make their shots to stay in the game -- last one standing wins a Dunkaroos prize. Kids can also check out Dunkaroos Dish, Drive and Dunk at www.ytv.com/wow where kids can battle it out online in their own basketball tournaments. Travelling from coast to coast, the unmistakable WOW! vehicles don't go anywhere without the high energy road crew, who travel from event to event, interacting with Canadian kids along the way. WOW! vehicles feature the latest in multimedia technology including a massive 95" screen, giving kids and their families a sneak peek of upcoming YTV programming. WOW!'s first stop is on June 4 at the Clearmeadow School Fair in Newmarket, Ontario. For further information, including video blogs, tour dates and locations for WOW!, visit www.ytv.com/wow.

Building on the knowledge and expertise of more than thirty years, the Banff World Media Festival is the world's premier forum for professionals working in content creation, distribution and broadcast in Television and Digital Media.

Taking place June 12-15, 2011, at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in the Canadian Rockies, BANFF attracts the most prestigious players in the international media marketplace. With its breathtaking, retreat-like setting and A-List attendees, BANFF provides a unique atmosphere combining unparalleled access, fantastic programming, and - to put it simply - an incredibly fun time.

The Festival features a comprehensive agenda, including in-depth programming across four intensive streams, as well as the Banff World Media Awards, a prestigious international awards competition recognizing the most innovative, exciting, and outstanding work in the industry. Conference streams include Non-Fiction, Kids & Animation, BANFF TV, and nextMEDIA, focusing on the latest trends in digital and interactive production. With sessions, panels, keynotes, master classes and interviews exploring the issues most strongly affecting the media industry, BANFF is designed to keep you on the cutting edge of both traditional and cross-platform content creation and programming.

2011 Conference Highlights:

Feature Interviews with the writers, directors, and producers creating the most talked-about programming on TV and the Web.Keynotes from the top executives and thinkers from TV, Digital Media, Advertising, Music, Government and Publishing that bring inspiration and thought leadership to each BANFF stream.In-depth programming addressing the key questions and challenges facing the different facets of the global media industry.The 2011 Banff World Media Awards, one of the world's most prestigious international program competitions. The 2010 competition attracted more than 800 entries from 30 countries around the world.A unique networking experience, combining both strategic facilitated networking opportunities - including pre-booked one-on-one meetings with Program Executives, Media Buyers, and Ad Agencies - with the exceptional open access and relaxed atmosphere created by the Festival's setting and feel.Specialty programs, including the CTV National Fellowship, the Shaw Media Showrunners Training Program, Global Writers Apprentice Program, and the Banff International Pilots Competition and Awards, offer practical, hands-on experience, taking your skill set to the next level, and creating opportunities for the frontrunners in the emerging media ecosystem.

Attendance at the 2011 conference is a sound investment in your company's future, whatever your niche in this dynamic new marketplace. With a special focus on business insight, development and information dissemination, this year's conference will put you at the forefront of your industry and connect you to the people and ideas that will grow your business.

The 2011 Banff Program Competition call for entries is open! The Banff World Television Awards (The Rockies) will be presented at the Banff World Television Festival, June 12 - 15, 2011. The Banff World Television Awards includes 23 genre-based categories and 6 interactive categories - a total of 29 distinct categories.